Table 1.

The selected conditions for synthesis of lignin-based macroinitiators (LnMIs) with different modification degrees ¹.

Lignin-Based Macroinitiators 2	The Initial Molar Ratios of BiBB/Lignin	Reaction Medium 3	TEA (mmol) 4	MD (%) 5
LnMI-a	24.7	DMA	\	3.0
LnMI-b	34.6	DMA	\	5.2
LnMI-c	36.2	DMA	\	20.2
LnMI-d	49.4	DMA	\	27.6
LnMI-e	64.8	DMA	\	36.7
LnMI-f	114.5	DMA	\	44.4
LnMI-g	229.0	DMA	\	70.8
LnMI-h	111.2	THF	98.8	100

¹ The amount of dried lignin for modification was fixed at 5.0 g (1 mmol, based on the average molecular weight of lignin being 5000 Da). The reaction was carried out at room temperature for 2 days under N₂ atmosphere. ² Data for LnMI-f and LnMI-h were reported previously [18]. ³ Anhydrous reagents were used. ⁴ Anhydrous TEA was used as catalyst for the esterification reaction. ⁵ Modification degree (MD) is defined as the percentage of lignin hydroxyl groups converted into ATRP initiation sites. MD was calculated according to ¹H NMR by comparing the integration of the proton signals due to initiation site to those of 100% modified macroinitiator, LnMI-h.